Political newcomer Robin L. Hodges handily defeated longtime incumbent Darrell Neal in the Education District 9 school board runoff election on Tuesday, Nov. 26, and will become the fifth new member in as many years.
Hodges tallied 132 votes (72%) to Neal's 51 (28%).
Neal, 57, presently serves as vice president of the East Tallahatchie School District Board of Trustees and is a former president of the school board.
Hodges, 32, will be sworn in during January for a five-year term.
For the first time in history, the five-member board will feature four women and only one man, current president Bryant Watson.
In addition, Neal's defeat means that come January, the Charleston school board will have been completely overhauled within the past five years.
The terms of the five board members are staggered, with one seat coming up for election each fall. Starting with Watson in 2021, a new ETSD board member has been seated each of the last four years. January will make it five, and a clean sweep.
Watson, who represents District 10, took office in 2021; Education District 6 trustee Audra "Temp" Brown in 2022; Education District 7 trustee Santrail Kuykendall in 2023; and Education District 8 trustee Taranetta Harris in 2024.
ETSD Superintendent Raymond Russell was hired by the board in 2023.
The ED 9 race was the only one on local ballots this week.
